


Pregnant Pauses

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 03:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13158612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: For Intronerd, who wanted to see Kent and Selina dealing with an unexpected pregnancy when she was about to become president.The story bounces around the timeline. Hopefully it's not too confusing.





	Pregnant Pauses

**Author's Note:**

> For Intronerd, who wanted to see Kent and Selina dealing with an unexpected pregnancy when she was about to become president. 
> 
> The story bounces around the timeline. Hopefully it's not too confusing.

 

**January 27 th 2016**

**Okay, it was a factory. Okay, it stank of oil and solvents. Okay, the noise of the machinery was maddeningly constant. Okay, it wasn’t what she’d dreamed of, and it wasn’t what she’d planned.**

**She walked through the factory surrounded by her staffers knowing that this was the day. This was her day. This was the day that she stepped forward into history.**

**She was going to take the oath, and she was going to be the president, damn it. This was her day, this was her…**

**‘Waaaahhh.’**

**Selina spun on her heel and glared at Kent. ‘Will you shut her up?’**

**‘She’s hungry,’ he said.**

**‘I’m trying to become president!’**

**He shrugged. ‘She’s trying to be an infant.’**

**Selina growled softly, and turned to the factory manager. ‘Do you have somewhere I can feed my daughter?’**

***

January 7th 2015

He ripped down her panties.

She yanked open his shirt.

They scrambled back across her office, stumbling over her rug, before they fell onto her couch.

‘If you do this to me again, I’ll break your fucking legs,’ she panted.

‘This?’ he asked, and slid his hand between her legs.

She ground against him. ‘No, you asshole, not _that_. Fucking me over at work.’

He rolled them over and pinned her beneath him. ‘I did not. Your idiotic staff did that.’ He kissed her, hard, and moved down her body.

‘Bullshit,’ she said, arching her back. ‘You’re always out to get me.’

She felt his lips against her thighs.

‘You _vastly_ overestimate your importance to me,’ he said.

***

_December 25 th 2015_

_She didn’t have time for this. Jesus, she spent half her life avoiding her mom, and the rest of the time trying to drag Catherine along with her. Now she was having to piss around playing happy families. Something she thought she’d stopped having to do when she finally cut Andrew loose._

_‘What kind of a name is that?’ her mom asked, wrinkling up her nose._

_‘For Dorothy Vaughan,’ Kent said. ‘An African American mathematician and human computer at NASA for twenty-eight years.’_

_Mrs Catherine Eaton could not have looked more confused if he said that the name was for chosen by grabbing random Scrabble tiles out of a bag._

_‘Is she a… relative of yours?’ she asked suspiciously._

_Selina cringed. Even Kent couldn’t miss that one. She saw it in his face, in the pursed lips and narrowed eyes._

_‘Alas no,’ Kent said. ‘Merely a personal hero.’_

***

21rd February 2015

Selina’s hand was clenched into a fist. It tapped against her side in a fast, unconscious rhythm.

He waited. For the punchline. For an explanation. For _something_.

‘Excuse me?’ he asked eventually.

‘I said, I’m pregnant,’ she repeated. ‘Six weeks.’

She saw him count back.

‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘The day after the Vic Allen dinner in my office.’

Kent looked away. She saw the muscles in his jaw tensing.

‘You assured me –’

‘Yeah, yeah, yeah,’ she said. ‘Plan B. I took it. Just… a little late. Don’t fucking look at me like that. You’re the one whose condom split.’

Kent rubbed his eyes with one hand. ‘In summary then: the vice president, a divorced woman over forty, is pregnant by a single man over fifty-five with whom she has no existing relationship romantic or otherwise.’

She set her jaw. ‘Jeez, Kent, don’t get all gushy will you.’

‘I am endeavouring not to lose my temper,’ he said.

‘Don’t you fucking _dare_ blame me!’ she snapped.

He stared at her in silence.

Selina looked away. ‘I’m going to have to keep it,’ she said.

‘Yes,’ he said, his voice tight. ‘Are you… romantically involved with someone?’

It took her a moment to parse his meaning. ‘What, you think I could go to some guy I was dating and say “hey, I got knocked up by this guy I can’t fucking stand, so now I need you to marry me.” Is that your advice?’

Kent leaned back in his chair. ‘It would make things significantly simpler.’

‘For _you_!’ Selina snapped. ‘It sure as fuck wouldn’t make anything simpler for me.’

‘Given the situation, there’s little or nothing that would,’ he said.

Selina rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, well, nice try. I’m not seeing anyone, and I wasn’t cheating on anyone when we banged, so you’re not getting out of this.’

***

_12 th December 2015_

_The wailing had dropped down to weeping, and then to a low grizzle. Selina pushed open the bedroom door. It was dark inside, lit only by the moonlight coming through the window._

_He was little more than a silhouette. Bathed in shadow as he cradled the much smaller shape against his chest. His hand spanned almost the whole of her tiny back. He was supporting her head with his other hand, a gesture that had long since passed from awkwardly uncomfortable to automatically unconscious._

_As Selina stepped into the room, he nuzzled the baby’s tiny cheek._

_‘Every thing okay?’ Selina asked._

_‘Merely grumpy,’ he said, looking at her. ‘I suspect a bad dream.’_

_‘I know the feeling,’ Selina said, pouting at him. ‘You gonna kiss my bad dream away too?’_

***

27th February 2015

Gary was crying. Again. That was bad enough without him pretending that he was fine. Even Catherine was getting pissed.

‘It’s not like it’s a real wedding,’ Catherine said.

Selina scowled at her. ‘It’s a real wedding,’ she said. ‘It’s gonna be a fake marriage.’

‘Whatever!’ Catherine said. ‘It’s not like you’re going to be staying married, right?’

‘Right,’ Selina said. ‘We’re not.’

Amy looked up from her cell. ‘Have you set an endpoint for the divorce?’

Gary began howling anew.

‘Not even married and already planning for the divorce,’ Catherine said. ‘Who says that romance is dead?’

Selina adjusted the lace neckline of her flowing champagne dress. It cost more than her “real” wedding dress, and it looked better. God, the eighties had been some kind of mass fashion delusion. Her hair had been enormous, her makeup had been garish, and her clothing needed its own zip code.

She still looked fucking _great_. This time she’d look even better.

‘I suggested two years –’

Amy was shaking her head. ‘That is way too short. You would look flaky, that you’d rushed into the wedding…’

Selina adjusted her cap sleeves. ‘You sound like Kent. I said two, he suggested six, and we reluctantly agreed on three.’

‘You’re going to put a three-year-old into a broken home?’ Catherine asked.

‘A two-year-old,’ Selina corrected. ‘God, all the money we spent on your education.’

‘It’s not going to be a great optic if you run in 2020,’ Amy said.

‘It’s better than either divorcing in 2019 or halfway through my first term as president,’ Selina said. She shuddered. ‘I don’t even wanna think about being married to him for that length of time. It’s bad enough planning on three years.’

Gary wailed again.

Selina rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, go help Kent,’ she said. ‘And try not to sob all over his new suit. We need him to look decent in the photographs.’ She looked at Catherine. ‘Is that what you’re doing with your hair?’

***

She’d have to give Sue a bonus. Even for Sue it shouldn’t have been possible to pull a wedding together in less than a week. But here they were, in the grounds of Number One Observatory Circle, with a hundred – mostly baffled – guests, music, catering, and the kind of haute couture it shouldn’t be possible to accomplish in less than six months.

Selina hiked her dress up, threw up into a bucket, wiped her mouth, gargled, and went out to get married to a man she barely knew and could hardly stand.

He looked okay. Good suit. Fresh haircut. Trimmed beard. At least he was making an effort. He looked her over as she walked down the aisle and, although he set his shoulders, he also smiled slightly.

Amy had a cell hidden in the bouquet she was holding, because of course she did. She looked up as the music swelled and hurried forward.

‘Get back there,’ Selina hissed.

‘Are you ready?’ Amy asked.

‘It’s not like I have much of a choice.’

***

_1 st October 2015_

_Catherine tightly crossed her arms. Selina stopped in the hallway and watched silently as Catherine edged towards the crib._

_Selina would’ve been happier if Catherine had been openly hostile. The passive-aggressiveness was sneaky and that was more concerning._

_Selina crept to the side of the doorway to keep watching Catherine._

_‘It’s so easy for you, isn’t it?’ Catherine said aloud. ‘You just lie there being cute, and everyone falls over themselves hugging you and telling you they love you.’_

_Selina caught her breath as Catherine scooped the baby up._

_‘It’s not fair,’ Catherine said. ‘I put in the time and the work, and you just lie there.’_

_The baby burped._

_‘You’re a tiny asshole.’ Catherine kissed her forehead. ‘And I don’t love you at all.’ She put her back in the crib. ‘Okay? I want that understood.’ She groaned. ‘Ugh, you need changing. I’m not doing that. I’ll tell the nanny.’_

_She turned around suddenly, making Selina dive out of her eyeline._

***

5th March 2015

‘We need this shutdown ended,’ Selina said.

‘We’re on it,’ Andrew Doyle said. ‘But POTUS is being intransigent.’

She pulled her face. ‘Does he honestly think this is going to distract _anyone_ from the spy scandal?’

‘It’s already distracted the press,’ Amy said.

‘Should we be calling you Vice President Davison?’ Roger Furlong asked.

‘What? No!’

Furlong’s eyebrows raised.

Selina cursed inwardly.

‘Meyer is the vice president’s brand,’ Amy said quickly. ‘Rebranding would just cause confusion.’

Furlong leaned back against the back of the couch. ‘You know what confused me, White House Barbie? What the fuck was going on with the wedding.’

Selina managed a smile. ‘Why Roger, I didn’t think you were the kind of guy who was interested in romantic gossip.’

‘I’m not,’ he said bluntly. ‘But Will is, and he tells me that you and Davison fucking hate each other. Do you need a green card, Ma’am, what the fuck is going on?’

Andrew Doyle cleared his throat. ‘If you were twenty years younger, Selina, the term “shotgun wedding” might be…’

Selina felt herself reddening.

‘Holy shit,’ Furlong said. ‘You’re knocked up?’

‘We’re getting _wildly_ off topic,’ Amy said.

‘Who’s the daddy?’ Furlong asked.

Selina gaped at him. ‘What? I just got married!’

Doyle crossed his legs. ‘To Kent Davison, one of POTUS’s most senior staffers. Look Selina, you don’t have to tell us –’

‘But you should,’ Furlong said.

‘– but you should realise that nobody is going to be fooled into thinking this is a real marriage and that Kent is the father of your child.’ 

***

_13 th August 2015_

_‘It’s okay,’ Kent said, sitting down beside her._

_‘It’s not.’ Selina’s voice was muffled, by her tears, by her face being pressed against her knees, but most of all by her own shame._

_She felt Kent gently move her hair away from her face._

_‘You don’t need your mother’s approval,’ Kent said._

_‘Fuck, no,’ Selina mumbled. ‘I don’t… need anything from her.’_

_Kent tentatively put his hand on her back. ‘She seems resentful of your success.’_

_Selina sniffled. ‘You think?’_

_‘Certainly. Your mother is locked in old versions of behaviour.’ He cautiously stroked Selina’s back. ‘She looks at your successes and takes them as a rebuke against her compliance with restrictive gender roles.’_

_She sat up, rubbing her face. ‘So, she tries to humiliate me because… she’s envious?’ she asked._

_‘In essence,’ Kent said. He gently wiped away her tears. ‘Societal norms have changed, and she hasn’t. For whatever reason, she feels that she has to compete with you, and you’re winning. That’s hard to take.’_

_Selina found a tissue and noisily blew her nose. ‘She’s always treated me like a competitor. I’m fucking sick of it.’_

_Kent shrugged. ‘The unfortunate truth is that both parents and children will always be what they are, not what we need them to be. We are disappointed in our parents as they’re disappointed in us. That disappointment is one of the immutable laws of the universe.’_

_She screwed up the tissue. ‘Fuck them.’_

_Kent nodded. ‘And the horses they rode in on.’_

_Selina stared at him for a moment, and then sniggered._

***

16th May 2015

Catherine tightly folded her arms. She watched sullenly as Selina and Gary assessed and discussed their resources.

‘No,’ Selina said.

‘But –’

‘Mountains, Gary,’ Selina said. ‘There are very few balls and soirees when you go spend a week at a ranch.’

‘A ranch for millionaires,’ Catherine sneered.

They ignored her.

‘But it’s all so… utilitarian,’ Gary said. ‘You want to dress up and have fun.’

Selina sighed. ‘Thank God that Kent is willing to go somewhere remote where we won’t have to be photographed all the time.’

Catherine played with a lock of her hair. ‘I don’t know why you’re bothering.’

Selina examined a pair of jeans. ‘Because people have honeymoons, Catherine, especially when other people are whispering about the marriage.’

‘Mom, none of those things are going to fit,’ Catherine said. ‘You’re already showing. You need to get maternity jeans.’

Gary’s silence was all Selina needed to know that Catherine was right.

‘Fuck,’ Selina said. ‘I thought I’d have a few more months.’

Catherine gaped at her. ‘ _How_? You’re nearly five months pregnant! The only reason the press isn’t all over it is because they assume you’re too old and that you’re just getting fat.’

Selina span on her heel. ‘No, they don’t!’

‘Yes, they do! Your staff is just too scared to tell you!’

Selina pushed past her and stomped along the corridor until she reached Kent’s bedroom. She rapped on the door.

Kent opened it after a few seconds. Selina hadn’t been in the room since he’d moved in. She wasn’t surprised to see prints of boats and the ocean on the walls behind him. Kent and his fucking boat. It was amazing he hadn’t suggested they honeymoon on the thing.

There were two suitcases on the bed, half filled with clothes.

‘Yes?’ he asked. 

‘Are the press speculating that I’m getting fat?’ Selina demanded.

He pursed his lips. ‘That seems to be the majority opinion,’ he said. ‘A few outliers have suggested pregnancy, and a couple conspiracy website theorise that you have stomach cancer possibly due to a botched CIA assassination.’

She stared at him. ‘CIA assassination?’

‘If they were rational and logical they wouldn’t be on conspiracy websites,’ he said.

‘Why didn’t you tell me? About the fat thing.’

Kent leaned against the doorjamb. ‘You have staffers for that. Forgive me for imagining they would do their jobs.’

Selina snorted. ‘Yeah, more fool us for thinking that.’ She put her hands on her hips. ‘We’re gonna have to announce my pregnancy. Fuck. It’s gonna be a big… thing.’

Kent tapped his foot. ‘Alternatively, we could take the LBJ route. Instead of making an announcement, and making it news, we could ensure that it becomes public knowledge in a more… low key way.’

‘Like what, someone spots me looking for maternity clothes?’ Selina sneered.

He shrugged. ‘It would set the precedent that the child is not part of the public business of your being the vice president. That would be wise.’

Selina scrunched up her face. ‘Because of the whispers about us getting married?’

Kent looked pursed his lips. ‘Partly, but also in part because being raised in the public is acknowledged as being extremely unhealthy for a child.’

‘Huh,’ Selina said. ‘Look at you pretending to give a shit about this kid.’

He tilted his head. ‘You really don’t know me, Ma’am.’

***

 It was the stuff of cowboy fever dreams. Flannel shirts. Leather boots. Jeans as far as the eye could see. Kent’s jeans were way too tight. Even walking up the steps to their room, Selina got a fantastic look at the way they clung to his ass.

And here she was, with spreading feet, a swelling stomach, and an aching back. He hadn’t even seen her naked when they’d screwed. She’d been tight and taut then, now she looked like a slowly inflating beach ball.

She hated being pregnant. She’d hated being pregnant with Catherine, and it had taken her months to get her figure back, but she’d been young then. Now… Ugh. Liposuction, a tummy tuck, and almost certainly hoisting up her boobs. At _least_. The whole thing was a bad fucking joke and…

Kent was stood in the doorway.

‘What?’ Selina asked.

He waved a hand at the door. ‘It’s traditional.’

She stared at him blankly for several seconds. ‘You’re not suggesting carrying me over?’

‘We’re in a semi-public place, Selina,’ he said mildly. ‘Certain traditions and _behaviours_ are expected, particularly from people on their honeymoon.’

Shit, shit, shit. Selina glanced at the other rooms. There was no telling if there was anyone in there or not.’

‘Good point,’ she said. ‘Don’t blame your back problems afterwards on me.’

He scooped her up easily and carried

 her through the doorway. ‘I’m unsure if you’re overestimating your weight or underestimating my strength.’

Andrew hadn’t carried her over the threshold. Andrew had been distracted by one of the maids. Andrew didn’t have a shred of romance in his soul, let alone fidelity.

Kent gently sat Selina down on the bed. Then he shut the bedroom door and sat down beside her.

Selina gave him a sideways look. Kent pulled off his boots.

‘Kind of a small room, huh?’ she said.

He ran his fingers around his collar. ‘It’s only for a few days,’ he said more quietly.

‘Couch is small,’ Selina noted.

‘I’ll sleep on the floor,’ he said firmly. ‘Couches are… not good for the back.’

Selina struggled to push off her boots. ‘I figured we’d have more of a fight over the bed.’

Kent sat on the floor and pulled off her boots. ‘If you weren’t pregnant than we might.’ He put her boots aside. ‘I’m quite cognizant that you are likely in a certain amount of physical discomfort at any given time.’

‘Wait until I give birth,’ she said. ‘Then you’ll see some physical discomfort.’

He winced. ‘I cannot say that I am anticipating that with pleasure.’ He stood up and brushed off his hands. ‘Would you like a coffee?’

Selina watched him walk over to the coffee maker. ‘You’re… you’re thinking of being in the delivery room?’

He looked at her over his shoulder. ‘I assumed it was expected.’

Selina looked down as she unbuttoned her jacket. ‘It’s pretty gross.’

‘Under the circumstances, I do have certain… ethical obligations,’ he said. ‘If you don’t wish to me present then obviously I have no right to insist.’

She looked up. ‘You _want_ to see me shove a slimy, purple, screaming mess out of my hoo-ha?’

‘You have such a poetic way with words,’ Kent said. ‘But that joy aside, I feel beholden to provide you with what support I can in any way I can. If that includes the cliched interaction of you swearing at me and attempting to do me physical harm, then so be it.’

‘I’m gonna hold you to that,’ Selina said.

***

They went for a walk. Selina wouldn’t have said no to one of the hunting trips, but Kent pulled a face at the idea, and she wasn’t in the mood for an argument.

She knew that he was deliberately slowing his pace to match hers. Those stupid long legs of his. Selina pulled her woollen hat down over her ears as she walked through the deepening snow. The quiet of the mountains was oddly soothing. You could imagine that you were the only people in the world, up here. You could believe that the world was peaceful and silent. You could believe that the world was nothing but snow and starlight.

Kent cleared his throat. Fuck. He _would_ spoil it.

‘What?’ Selina asked.

‘I didn’t say anything.’

She nudged him with her elbow. ‘Tell me.’

He sighed. ‘It occurs to me that we should prepare ourselves for the child potentially being born with certain aspects that are… suboptimal.’

Selina narrowed her eyes. ‘That’s what’s on your mind right now? _Now_?’

‘Not just at the moment,’ Kent said.

‘Fuck you,’ she said. ‘Lots of women my age have children. Loads. Don’t you fucking dare try to make me feel shitty about my age.’

That wasn’t what he meant. She knew it as soon as she saw his expression.

‘Since you are far enough along to have had the relevant tests, I would hope that it’s obvious that _your_ age isn’t my concern,’ he said. He squared his shoulders. ‘Although your age hardly ideal, _mine_ is the issue. I am fifty-eight, Selina. The evidence is by no means definitive. But is suggestive.’

Selina looked at him. His face was drawn. He was looking down at the snow.

‘Tell me,’ she said.

Kent shrugged as he looked at her. ‘Autism, schizophrenia, and certain birth defects are apparently more likely.’

Selina swallowed. ‘I didn’t know that.’       

He touched the back of her hand. ‘There’s little or nothing we can do at this point beyond preparing for the possibilities.’

‘That’s not very reassuring,’ she grumbled.

Kent smiled slightly. ‘Apologies, my way of approaching difficult circumstances is to plan ahead.’

She nodded. ‘I get that. Does it help?’

‘Yes,’ he said.

Selina sighed. ‘Was kinda waiting for you to tell me that a disabled kid would tick a bunch of boxes with the voters.’

Kent shrugged. ‘If I was currently operating as your advisor then I would do so. Since that’s not my primary function at the moment, I will refrain.’

She tilted her head as she looked at him. ‘You’re not an advisor right now. Okay. What are you?’

‘The father of your child,’ he said quietly.

Selina took his hand, and squeezed it.

***

_14th September 2015_

_‘This can’t be happening!’ Catherine wailed. ‘It’s too soon!’_

_Selina leaned against the wall, and watched Gary grab her bag. ‘It’s fine,’ she panted. ‘A couple days here or there makes no difference.’_

_‘I’m not ready to be a sister!’_

_‘You think I was ready to be a mother?’ Selina snapped. ‘Newsflash: nobody is every ready to be a parent. You think you are, but you’re wrong.’_

_Gary skittered out of the door, and down the stairs, almost crashing into Dan as he came running up the stairs._

_‘Kent’s on his way to the hospital,’ Amy said. ‘The car is outside. We are ready to go.’_

_‘We’ve got the statement ready to go,’ Dan said. ‘And I’ve got bids coming in for photographs and your first interview after the birth.’_

_‘Great,’ Selina grunted. ‘Maybe if you’re real quick you can sell the rights to me giving birth live.’_

_***_

_‘Why do you keep crying?’ Selina demanded._

_Some people can cry in a delicate, decorative way, with twinkling tears and soft, pitiful sobs._

_Catherine was not one of these people. She brayed like a donkey in distress, heavy tears flowing from her reddened eyes, and mucous thickening her voice._

_‘I don’t want… want… want to do this,’ Catherine wailed._

_Selina rolled her eyes. ‘You’re not the one doing this, sweetie. Okay?’ She looked at the porters, pushing the gurney. ‘When you get the nitrous oxide for me, can you get some extra for my daughter? I don’t know if I can get through it with her like this.’_

_The gurney rattled through the doors into the birthing suite. Selina sat up, breathing heavily. She looked over at Amy and Dan, who were both grey-faced._

_‘Oh Jesus, you don’t need to be in here. Go on. One of you take Catherine somewhere and calm here down. The other one chase up Kent. We need him to at least be in the building.’_

_‘Kent,’ Dan said._

_‘Kent,’ Amy said, a fraction too late. ‘Shit.’ She had to practically grab Amy by the arm and tow her out of the room._

_‘Everything is going to be fine,’ Gary cooed to Selina._

_She scowled at him. ‘Get me some ice chips.’_

_***_

_She saw Kent through the glass, talking to the doctor. The conversation went on a lot longer than she thought it should. Kent’s expression deepened into a scowl, and he glanced through the window at Selina, and then back at the doctor._

_Fucking paternalistic assholes. If there was a problem they should be in here talking to her, not talking to Kent just because some piece of paper said he was her husband. She’d like to go out there and shove the wedding license down their throats._

_‘What the fuck’s going on?’ she demanded when Kent walked into the room._

_‘Your child is in distress and the birth isn’t progressing as they’d like,’ he said. ‘So they’re considering a caesarean.’_

_Selina shrugged. ‘That’s not so bad, right?’_

_‘There’s a longer recovery time,’ Gary said. ‘About six weeks.’_

_Kent waved his hands. ‘Your schedule was light anyway, it should be possible to rearrange things without too much difficulty. The issue you need to consider particularly is that you might find it more troublesome to bond with the child.’_

_Selina pulled a face. ‘Yeah. Not liking my baby much is totally gonna ruin no pain and lying around on my ass for six weeks. I don’t think. Bring on the surgeon.’_

_He raised his eyebrows but said nothing._

_***_

_Kent held her hand. He was wearing surgical gloves, but she could feel the soothing warmth of his skin. His thumb stroked the back of her hand. He mostly watched the surgery, but every few minutes he looked back at her. He had a mask on, but she could see the smile in his eyes. The smile and, later on, the anxiety._

_‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, when the baby was rushed away in a frenzy of activity._

_‘I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘She looked very yellow. Jaundiced perhaps.’_

_‘Everything is in hand,’ a nurse said too brightly. ‘Let’s get you sewn up and into recovery.’_

_Selina didn’t look at her. She looked at Kent. He didn’t look convinced._

***

30th June 2015

It felt good to be home, even if home was a constant reminded that she’d shot for the presidency and failed. Home was comfortable and familiar. After weeks on her book tour, familiar and comfortable was incredibly reassuring.

‘Oh God, you’re huge,’ Catherine said.

‘Yeah, thanks a bunch,’ Selina retorted.

‘I’m sorry! It just caught me by surprise.’ Catherine twisted a lock of hair around her finger. ‘You’re not fat everywhere,’ she said, as if that made up for it.

Selina rolled her eyes. ‘Is Kent home?’

‘I guess. There’s been some big deal with Jonah Ryan doing… something,’ Catherine said, with a shrug. ‘People have been in and out all evening yelling about it.’

Selina groaned and headed for the stairs. ‘Great, I’m sure I’ll hear all about it soon.’

There were times when waiting for POTUS’s term to end so that she could step up was almost unbearable, and then there were times like this. Times when she heard the tail ends of all kinds of fucked up stories. Times when she was _really_ glad for some plausible deniability.

Being married to Kent probably fucked that in the ass. God, that’d be a great conversation, explaining that he didn’t discuss POTUS’s shit with her. They’d begun talking a little more, sharing a little about their backgrounds and their interests, but they didn’t talk much about work. Not when they were at home. It hadn’t been a calculated decision so much as an unspoken agreement. Working together professionally meant leaving their supposed personal relationship at the door. Getting along together personally meant leaving work in the Eisenhower building.

Selina undressed in her bedroom. She rubbed her neck and scrunched her toes in the carpet, then pulled on sweats. Jesus, even the name of the things was depressing.

‘Selina?’ Kent asked, knocking on the door.

‘Come in,’ she said. ‘Don’t mind how I look. Pregnancy is fucking disgusting.’

He raised his eyes as he walked into the room. He shut the door behind him. ‘I don’t have Gary’s eye for couture, but I believe that’s a designer outfit.’

She sat down on the bed. ‘Didn’t mean the clothes, but thanks.’

‘Is your neck bothering you?’

She nodded. ‘Everything aches, but right now my neck is the worst.’

He vaguely gestured at her. ‘Do you want me to…’

‘N…Yeah,’ she said. ‘That’d be… yeah.’

***

_27 th September 2015_

_Selina limped along the corridor and pushed open the door. Inside the small room, Kent was sat shirtless, feeding the baby with a bottle._

_‘What the fuck are you doing?’_

_‘Isn’t it self-evident?’_

_She struggled into the room and sat down. ‘Random nudity is all that’s evident right now.’_

_Kent stroked the back of the baby’s head. ‘You know that skin-to-skin contact promotes bonding.’_

_Selina snorted. ‘Nobody worried about skin contact and bonding when Catherine was a baby.’_

_He nodded. ‘I have no trouble believing that.’_

_She slapped his arm. ‘Has she been in today?’_

_Kent shifted the baby. ‘Catherine? Yes. She stood by the door and glared.’_

_Selina moved a little, trying to relieve her pain. ‘She’s gotta come to terms. She can’t blame the baby.’_

_He raised an eyebrow. ‘Indeed, what kind of a fully-grown woman would blame a child for having the temerity to exist?’_

_‘Right,’ Selina said, obliviously._

_‘Would you like to hold her?’ Kent prompted._

_Selina folded her arms. ‘You keep… doing what you’re doing.’_

_‘You should feed her. It’ll be good for you both.’_

_‘Hey, they keep making me express milk,’ she said. ‘Do you have any idea how much that hurts? Jesus. It does me no fucking good.’_

_Kent winced. ‘Breastfeeding will help you bond with her.’_

_She looked around the room. ‘God, I’m so bored. I need to get back to work.’_

_Kent put the bottle away and raised the baby to his shoulder. ‘Getting dressed will assist that.’_

_‘Shut up, I’m in pain,’ she grumbled. ‘I’m sick of hearing about how I need to get dressed, I need to hold the baby, blah blah blah.’_

_He sighed. ‘Postpartum depression is quite common,’ he said._

_‘Fuck you!’_

_Kent looked her in the eye. ‘Selina, I have an obligation to you, to the baby, and to the country. You may not wish to hear that I am concerned about your mental and physical health, but I am obliged to share it with you.’_

_‘There’s nothing wrong with me!’ she snarled. ‘I don’t wanna hear this bullshit again!’_

_He took a deep breath. ‘I’m not Gary, or Amy, or Dan,’ he said. ‘You can’t fire me. I don’t need you to like me. I need you to do your job as the vice president and as Vaughan’s mother. You can’t do that if –’_

_‘Who? Who the fuck is Vaughan?’_

_Kent rolled his eyes. Actually, had the nerve to roll his eyes at her. ‘Our daughter.’_

_Selina reddened. ‘We are not calling her… that. Okay? She is my daughter and I will name her.’_

_‘The time for that was last week when I asked you repeatedly,’ he said. ‘You refused to discuss it.’_

_‘You don’t get to make that kind of decision,’ Selina snapped. ‘You don’t have the right.’_

_He narrowed his eyes. ‘Selina, I understand that you are having trouble coming to terms with being her mother. That doesn’t negate the fact that I’m her father. If anything, that makes my responsibilities to her more pressing.’_

_Selina pursed her lips. ‘And you thought your responsibility was to name her Vaughan?’_

***

3rd July 2015

Catherine poked at her food. ‘Why don’t you just go all the way and announce abortions up until birth,’ she said sourly. ‘I’d vote for that.’

Selina half expected Kent to bust out some statistics about how many Americans would support that. Instead he looked at Catherine with hooded eyes.

‘You need to eat more protein,’ Selina said brusquely. ‘It’s making you cranky.’

‘I’m not five years old, Mom,’ Catherine protested. ‘It seems like every time I have a legitimate concern about something you say that I’m overtired, or I haven’t eaten.’

Selina cocked her head. ‘Really? Suggesting abortions until birth is you raising a legitimate concern?’

Kent took a sip of his wine. ‘I believe that Catherine is using reductio ad absurdum to illustrate a point. I’m not entirely sure what that point is, beyond expressing her increasing displeasure with your pregnancy.’

‘Well I’m sure that’s not…’ Selina noticed Catherine flushing red. ‘Christ, really? You’ve had months to get used to it.’

Catherine glanced at Kent, who stood up.

‘I’ll… finish this in my room,’ he suggested.

‘No, you don’t have to do that,’ Selina said sharply. ‘For better or worse, Catherine, Kent is a part of this family and –’

‘Until you can get away with getting divorced,’ Catherine retorted.

Kent pushed his plate away. ‘Even then, I will remain the father of your sister. If you have as significant a problem with her as appears to be the case, then I would like to know.’

Catherine tightly folded her arms and looked away.

‘That’s your cue to deny having a problem with the baby,’ Selina prompted.

‘I just hope that the poor thing has a better childhood than mine,’ she said.

Selina set her jaw. ‘I am so bored of hearing about how horrible your childhood was. I did the best I could. Do you think it was easy, raising a kid with your dad? Do you think that he lifted one finger to help?’

‘You didn’t lift one finger,’ Catherine protested. ‘I was raised by nannies and housekeepers.’

‘That’s not going to happen this time,’ Kent said quietly but firmly.

***

_18 th October 2015_

_Selina hurled her shoes across the room. Gary scrambled after them._

_‘Get out!’ she screamed. ‘Go!’_

_She undressed in a fury, throwing her clothes aside. Then she grabbed a robe, pulled it on, and marched out of the room._

_Kent’s room was open a crack. Selina shoved it open and stormed inside._

_‘Children have no value?’ she demanded. ‘Children have no value?’_

_She stopped and looked at him. He’d also started getting undressed. His shirt was unbuttoned, and he had already taken off his shoes and pants._

_‘Put some clothes on,’ she said._

_Kent put his hand on his hip. ‘I appreciate that you’re disappointed in how things happened today –’_

_‘I’m not disappointed, I’m fucking furious! I deserve your god damn support –’_

_‘You have my support, Selina, but –’_

_She poked him in the chest. ‘You took their side!’_

_Kent rubbed his eyes. ‘I took the side of the data,’ he said. ‘My data was that the party would insist on dropping your commitment to free childcare. How would lying to you about that be useful to you in any way?’_

_Selina’s shoulders sagged. ‘You didn’t tell me that. Not exactly.’_

_‘It’s important to you,’ Kent said. ‘I understand that.’_

_She set her jaw. ‘It should be important to you too.’_

_Kent was quiet for several moments. ‘Since when do you care what I actually think?’_

_Selina sat down on his bed. ‘I don’t not care,’ she said._

_Kent sat next to her. ‘I’m sorry that I didn’t make you feel supported.’_

_‘I don’t want to be an empty suit,’ she said. ‘I want to actually accomplish things. I want to make life better for people,’ she said._

_He smiled slightly._

_‘What?’ she demanded._

_‘I didn’t realise that you were an idealist,’ he said. ‘It’s rather endearing.’_

_Selina tried to frown but couldn’t quite manage it. ‘Just because I haven’t got laid in ten months doesn’t mean I’m gonna give it up for a lame ass compliment like that.’_

_Kent kissed her cheek. ‘Give me some time. I’ll come up with plenty of other poor-quality compliments.’_

July 19th

‘Don’t look at me,’ she said, between kisses.

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he said, between kisses.

Selina reached behind her, scrabbling for the door handle. Kent’s hands were on her waist. Her free hand was in his hair. She was breathless. She’d forgotten how warm his skin was.

The bedroom door opened. Selina pulled Kent backwards into the room.

‘Don’t look at me,’ she said as he unzipped her dress.

‘Selina, you’re beautiful,’ he said quietly.

‘I’m fat. I’m blotchy. I look like hell.’ Selina removed his tie and wrapped it around his eyes.

He sat down carefully on the bed. ‘If you wanted to blindfold me you only had to say.’

‘I’m saying.’ Selina peeled off her dress. ‘Maybe I’ve lost all this weight we can try something a little more exciting.’

He caught hold of her and pulled her onto his lap. ‘We can try anything you want,’ he said. ‘Any time that you want.’

Selina lifted up the tie from around Kent’s eyes. ‘You honestly think I’m beautiful?’

He smiled. ‘You know I do.’

_9 th November 2015_

_Selina opened her eyes and looked at her clock. 03:52. Who the fuck was clomping around at nearly four in the morning? It wasn’t the night nanny, she knew that. That bitch slid around on velvet feet with the world’s most superior expression on her snooty face._

_Selina got up and opened her bedroom door, just as a tall figure stumbled past._

_‘Kent?’_

_‘Good… morning,’ he hiccupped._

_She tiptoed over. ‘Are you drunk? How are you drunk? I thought you were just going to a dinner party at Amy’s.’ Selina shook her head. ‘Although if anyone could have a dinner party boring enough that you’d have to get drunk it’d be Amy.’_

_Kent shook his head. ‘After dinner we went to a bar, and you hired Dan as campaign manager, and then we went and threw Mike’s expired ejaculate at Jonah’s door,’ he said. ‘Then we went to another bar.’_

_Selina sniggered. ‘You’ve been tearing up the Hill, huh?’_

_‘Yup.’_

_He touched her hair. ‘You should’ve come. Do you good to… relax.’_

_‘I was coming back from the world’s worst country weekend with Maddox,’ Selina said._

_‘Yuck,’ Kent said seriously._

_Selina brushed some fluff from his shoulder. ‘I wish you’d been there.’_

_‘Can’t get into your campaign stuff,’ he said sadly. ‘Gotta pretend I’m just doing your vice presidential stuff.’_

_‘Well, it sucks.’ She pulled a face. ‘You gotta come work for me.’_

_He looked her in the eyes. ‘I’m hungry.’_

_Selina laughed. ‘You’re drunk. Come on, I’ll make you some eggs.’_

_‘You’re going to cook?’_

_‘I’m not letting you do it,’ she said. ‘Your drunk ass would burn the building down.’_

_***_

**January 27 th 2016**

**Selina stroked Vaughan’s face as she latched on. She was sat in someone’s office, on a rickety, dirty chair, staring at the nicotine stained walls and ignoring the machinery vibrating through the floor.**

**There was a tap on the door, and then Kent let himself in.**

**‘Hey,’ Selina said.**

**‘Hey.’ Kent walked over, and kissed her cheek. ‘Are you… okay?’**

**She shrugged sheepishly. ‘You mad I told you to shut her up?’**

**‘You’re under a lot of stress,’ he said.**

**Selina looked down at Vaughan. ‘That’s a yes,’ she said. ‘Daddy is mad at me.’**

**‘Only a little,’ he said.**

**‘Sorry.’**

**Kent squatted in front of her. ‘You feel better?’**

**‘Kinda,’ she said.**

**‘Good.’ He kissed her softly.**

**Selina leaned into the kiss. ‘You gonna tell me to quit being a bitch and show everyone how fucking gracious I can be?’**

**‘Close.’ He leaned back on his heels. ‘Take a breath, hold it, and let it out. You deserve this. We deserve this.’**

**‘It’s been a long time coming,’ Selina said. She licked her lips. ‘I’m a little scared.’**

**Kent stood up. ‘You can do it. Now quit whining and show everyone how fucking gracious you can be.’**

**The End**

 

 

 


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